Renato Moicano has advised Paddy Pimblett to steer clear of him after his win in last weekend’s UFC Paris main event.
UFC veteran Moicano scored one of the most high profile wins of his career in the French capital on Saturday night, ending home-country Benoit Saint-Denis’ night at the end of the second round when cageside doctors determined that the Frenchman was unable to continue due to damage sustained by Moicano’s relentless attack on the ground in the first.
Speaking afterwards, Moicano turned his attention to undefeated (in the UFC) lightweight Pimblett, who has been vocal in recent months about his wish to arrange a bout with the Brazilian — and maybe even coach a season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ opposite him.
“Don’t accept the fight or I will elbow your skull,” Moicano said, addressing the Liverpool man. “Please, don’t accept the fight, I’m gonna hurt you. I’m gonna elbow your skull.”
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Moicano also subsequently referenced his only prior main event scrap; a 2019 defeat to ‘The Korean Zombie’ Chan Sung Jung — a fight he says which prompted him to make some significant changes in his preparation. He is now 7-2 in the Octagon since that fight.
“I was never easy money,” Moicano said, via MMA Fighting. “The only time I was easy money was against Korean Zombie a long time ago, he knocked me out in the first round, but since then I changed completely my training camp, my division, I changed everything, so I don’t wanna be easy money.
“I’ve been in the UFC for 10 years and three years ago nobody knows me,” Moicano said. “And I always work hard, but it doesn’t matter if you are the best fighter in the world and nobody knows. So I want more cameras, I want more people talking my name in MMA, because that way I can bring more attention, and I can make my case to fight for the belt eventually.”
For his part, Pimblett responded to Moicano’s statement via a post to Instagram, writing simply: “Let’s do this.”
